The Portland daily press., 1887-09-06
Civil Service EvasIons.

Collector Seeberger of Chicago in removing
hr. Webster undoubtedly steered clear of a
violation Of the letter of the civil service law.
but whether he sinned against its spirit is
quite another thing. The law does not d.
rectly limit the power Of removal. 1t does
not say that removals may not be made for
political reasons. 1t does not demand Of the
appointing power the cause OF removals.
Nevertheless the law undoubtedly does seek
to prevent the removal Of faithful and eff
cient employees for political reasons. The ex-
pectation Of its trainers clearly was that in
depriying heads of departments and Offices of
the power Of appointing for political reasons
they had removed the motive for making re-
m0vals for political reasons That is, they
argued that the appointing officer would not
remove a Republican simply because he was
Republican or Democrat simply because
he was Democrat kept for the purpose Of
putting somebody Of opposite politics in his
place, and that therefore when he was de-
prlved OF the power TO execute this purpose
there would be no motive for making such
removal. Undoubtedly their anticipatons
have to some extent been realized. Removals
OF employees falling within the civil service
would have been the case had the appointing
power been untrammeled in its selection of
subordinates. Experience, however, has
shown that the appointing officer is not so
thoroughly deprived of the opportunity to
make political considerations tell as was an
ticipated. The three highest on the list are
very seldom all Of them of opposite
politics from the appointing fficer Indeed
the chances are that more of them will be in ac-
cord with his political opinions than opposed
for the reason that the impression that po-
litical considerations are still very potent
in appointments dscourages persons of
the opposite party from presenting them
selves before the civil service board. Asa
rule therefore, the appointing power is GER
tain to find in the three highest one at least
in accord with his politics; so that the motive
for making removals for political reasons is
not SC thoroughly disposed Of by the reform
system of appointments as was hoped
The commissioners propose to cure the
difficulty by compelling the appointing ofiic-
or to assign his reasons for removals. That
undoubtedly would do some good for we
imagine that in the present state of public
opinion there are very few collectors or post
masters who would put it down in black
and white that they had removed subordi-
nate simply because his politics were not in
accord with theirs. Collector Seeberger I'M
doubleday removed Mr.. Webster for this
reason, but when he got before the civil SER
vice commissioners he did not have the cour-
age to confess it, He evaded, talk about
amply sufficient reasons. but failed to spec
ify single one. But the new rule might do
harm as well as good, because 1t might
sometimes embarrass the appoint
ing oificer in removing sub
ordinate who ought to be removed,
ana ltls quite as much the purpose of the
reform sytem to relieve the public service of
incompetent men as to retain in If faitbfnI
and capable employees. The only sure cnre
Is to relieve the appointing officer from marty
pressure. Ii left to themselves very few
officials would turn out faithful and canable
subordinates. They do SO as rule only a.
the behests Of the party managers. When
the people at large become so Thoroughly
convinced Of the benefit of the reform svs-
TEN and so in earnest about it that the re-
moval or appointment of government clerk
for purely political reasons will lose the
party votes that is responsible for it then
the appointing officer will be relieved of all
political pressure in this direction. Until
that time comes the civil service reform
theory will not be fully realized in practice.